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    « Hand Job | Main | Design Writing »
    Friday
    26Oct2007

    Ceramics and Typography

    licko1.jpg

    Emigre co-founder, Zuzana Licko, is also a ceramic artist. You can really see the relationship between designing typefaces and throwing pots in these editions of vases: in both disciplines, the artist endeavours to explore traditional forms in new ways. How many was can you draw the letter "A"? How many ways can you modify the contours of a vessel?

    Of course, both disciplines deal with creating visually and structurally balanced shapes. Both deal with the duality of inside & outside form. And both require resolving transitions of curves; when throwing a piece on the potter's wheel, the conceptualization of the shape can be reduced to a single line of curve transitions, which represents one half of the symmetrical cross section. These curve transitions and balance of form have much in common with constructing curves in letter forms.

    One can imagine that these vases are actually a letter spinning at high speed on the potter's wheel.

    licko2.jpg

    In fact, Korean designer Ji Lee designer a three-dimensional letter series based on Univers revolved on a centre axis.

    AZTOP.jpg 

    Taking her inspiration from the actual form the letter, Stephanie DeArmond creates amazing installations with ornamental typographic shapes:

    dearmond.jpg

    The talented Karin Eriksson has incorporated typography in the surface of her tableware:

    karin.jpg

    Historically, typographic marks have been included on pottery to mark the artisan or factory that created the work:

    marks.jpg 

    Etsy seller Cocomo has a great selection of ceramic pieces that would be great for making mosaics:

    mosaic.jpg

    And mosaics made of flat ceramic, glass and stone have often included typography:

    tiles.jpg 

    So there you have it: a quick overview of ceramics and typography — flat and dimensional, old and new. Feel free to include more links in the comments or send me an email.

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